This past weekend on the historic wooden floor of Queen's Park Arena, the Delta Islanders Novice "A" squad took on B.C.'s best in the annual 2014 Bellie Bowl tournament.
In their first game on Friday evening, the Islanders stayed close but lost a tight match against a tough North Delta squad. The team bounced back on Saturday morning, dominating the Coquitlam Adanacs 12-2. This set the stage for a premier match Saturday night against a very strong Vancouver squad that entered the tilt having lost only once all season. The game was close with the teams trading goals but neither could pull away in what ended up as an exciting 6-6 tie.
With round robin play complete, the playoffs were set and began with a key match on Sunday morning against the same Vancouver opponent. Focused on strong team defense, the Delta boys got better as the game went on en route to a big 5-3 upset win.
With the best yet to come, the locals readied themselves to play in the championship game in a rematch with North Delta. The Islanders pulled away in the third period for a thrilling 6-4 win.
"We are very pleased of the boys' efforts," said head coach Greg Sambrook. "They battled hard as a team in every game throughout the tournament. They should be very proud of their efforts. We are excited about the future."
Looking forward to its next level of competition, the team has been invited to compete in the Jack Crosby Memorial All-Star Tournament.
The Islanders roster features: Nile Abramson, Aiden Currivan, Brad Janson, Nathan MacPherson, Dylan Maskell, Jared Maznik, Mathias McDonnell, Reece Palmer, Payden Duch, Tristan Sambrook, Lane Sharpe, Robert Sheldrick, Keegan Sodder, Owen Turpie, and Rylan Weisbrod.
Rounding out the coaching staff is Drew Abramson.
